A blend of flue-cured bright Virginias from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Brazil and Latakia from Cyprus. - Course Cut- With this blend you not only have to like Latakia - you have to positively 'crave' the taste as this blend contains 45%. This is the best selling mixture in the US, by a comfortable margin.

The Virginia is grassy, slightly earthy with a little citrus. I remain skeptical that this is 45% Cyprian latakia, because it doesn't come through as I anticipated. It is mildly sweet with the smoky, woodsy characteristics you expect it to have. No Lakeland scent present. The nic-hit is mild. Won't bite. Burns moderately and cool with consistent taste, but it lacks the dimension of flavors that should be here. Needs few relights, easily burns to ash, and leaves little moisture in the bowl. Not quite an all day smoke.

This is a straight forward, honest virginia/latakia mixture. I am not too sure this blend actually does contain 45% latakia as it claims, but this of course doesn't stop it from being very enjoyable. From the bag, it smells absolutely beautiful; Pungent latakia with the tiniest hint of a virginia twang. While smoking, there is a beautiful sweetness accompanied by a cool burn. It has no bells or whistles, and the burn can go astray on you, but this stuff is just damn good. You do have to get on with latakia to enjoy this blend, but don't let the description deter you. Give it a go!

I received this as a free sample from Mars cigars. (thank you Mike!!!!!!) I smoked a few bowls and thought, Not bad. A few months later I pull this out and I can't stop smoking it. I ordered 500grams to make sure I don't run out. They say that it is a 45% Latkia with Va's, but it doesn't seem like there is that much in it. Any how I find this blend to be one of my favorites at this time.

I tried this based on the manufacturer's description that #12 contains 45% Latakia. And I like my English blends with Latakia, yessir.

Appearance: practically a sea of tan, with specks of dark brown and black. There are ribbons and coarse cut tobacco in here. The ribbons are long-ish, but #12 was no trouble to pack. Pouch aroma is unremarkable. Upon lighting, I got the Virginias right away, whoosh. There's no soap or floral component, just straight VAs.

And then I waited. It's pleasant, elegant, and just not what I expected. No Latakia elements came forth. I just finished my fourth bowl and all tasted the same. Sorry G&H, this just isn't for me.

This blend is a mixture of several virginia's, and 45% Latakia, Cyprian, I would gather. The nose is of a typical English, in that the Latakia jumps out at you. The tobacco arrived rather moist, so taking time to let it air dry would be to your advantage. The charring light burns the tobacco well, and I have found myself after tamping it down not having to relight. The tabacco has a sweet taste, not a casing but the Virginia's and a superb blending job. The Latakia is there, and by 45% you would think overwhelming, this is not the case, the Virginia's blended with the Latakia make for a fine smoke, one that does not grow sour at the bottom, or towards it, as is the case for some English blends. Another note is some Latakia blends I've tried have an amonia type smell, to the smoker, at halfway, I didn't detect it here. In conclusion ;a well blended English, I would have thought there is Turkish here, but the description doesn't mention any, that burns well to the bottom, and pleases the palate. Well done!

Sorry,but I must desagree with many people.I would bet my best pipe that in this really fine mixture are wonderful and sweet leaves of syrian Latakia.Maybe after so many years of smoking the Cyprus cousin,wonderful too but so different,smokers can´t enjoy the subtility of the original.

Boring and forgettable, this Latakia mixture feels wimpy and uninspired. Its thin, shaggy nature (although proclaimed a coarse cut) yields an unconventional presentation, but adds nothing to improve the smoking characteristics of the blend. And the tin description is overly optimistic regarding the included ratio of Latakia, which, as many have suggested, falls quite lower than the stated 45 percent.

Also indicated by GH, the inclusion of only bright leaf, with an absence of red, and abiding by the plethora of golden strands in the sample, you'd expect this a sweet smoke, which it is--you'll get mostly high notes here.

But more surprisingly, there is no mention of Oriental leaf. Are the authors being vague here, or is there really no leaf? My initial smokes don't seem to detect a pronounced spiciness, and picking through the tin I could not discern any sparkly, coarse and almost fuzzy textured leaf that I associate with the Oriental component, so I wouldn't doubt it.

While on my low to middle list of favorites, I'd take the strictly Virginia and Latakia mixes of Balkan Flake and Commonwealth Mixture any day over No. 12--there's a sort of flare about them that No. 12 lacks, Commonwealth with its steamed Virginias, and Balkan Flake in its beautiful presentation. But No. 12 is too subtle for any showing off.

Taken together, No. 12 is a hell of a lot of bright leaf, and maybe 35 percent Latakia, which explains its boring nature. You would assume with the high degree of Virginias, at least, that No. 12 would have a hefty kick, missing the low nicotine laden Orientals, but that's not so, it's on the lower end of medium.

In the end, No. 12 demonstrates that top notch leaf will not necessarily grant one an excellent blend. There must be something more, if not skill then at least inspiration, both of which this blend lacks. If you consider yourself the average sort, I'm sure No. 12 will impress you with its mediocrity.

I am a fan of many of the Gawith Hoggarth blends but #12 is lacking for me. Unless my aging eyes (and taste) are deceiving me, I find it hard to believe that there is actually 45% Latakia in this blend. Number 12 Mixture has the same underlying distinctive taste that is found in other GH English blends. I am not referring to the soap taste found in many of the GH scented blends. There are a lot of taste similarities in #12 to GH's Balkan Mixture but it lacks the full flavor of Balkan Mixture and it's not just because of the absence of the Orientals. Considering the claimed 45% Latakia, #12 lacks the full, smoky flavor of similar blends. IMHO if an English blend is going to rely on just two tobaccos's it needs to be superbly done (think Lancer Slices) and in this case #12 falls short. It's not a bad tobacco, there are just too many ones that are better.

A lighter and more "oriental-oriented" version of the GH Balkan Mixture, with the Kendal soapiness (as for Balkan Mixture, I think it's the Coniton' soapy note). An outstanding balance, a great delicacy. One caution: smoke it slowly. If it is true for every tobacco, it is even more for it. 4,5/5 in my personal rating system.

G&H No12 is not as bad as some of the reviews here suggest, nor is it anything special. I confess I rarely buy loose tobaccos but in the spirit of adventure I have been trying to introduce a little variety into my tasting of tobacco, beer and single malt whisky lately - because you never know what you may be missing. And I will swear my palette has been changing - probably improving - with age. So on the recommendation of my local tobacconist (although I suspect she doesn't smoke a pipe) I gave this a go. And it is okay. Just okay. I'm not sure I could even go as far as to call it two dimensional. This is a light-hearted, undemanding smoke, the better to be enjoyed when you are concentrating on something else and, I would suggest, before midday.

who cares how much latakia it has...in the end it is a very nice smoke with good balance, tasty and good flavor...i put this blend among my collection of over various blends in the top 10...dont miss this one

Gawith Hoggarth-No.12 Mixture. This is nowhere near the Lat-Bomb that the description suggests. 45 % Latakia? Come on, you've gotta be kidding! The pouch note is a pleasant one but it's the first thing that's diametrically opposed to the 45% description. Yes, there is a smokiness present but it isn't what I expect from a headstrong Lat' blend. A negative lies within its hydration, it's too damp and in need of drying time. Although the flavour of the smoke isn't the full smoky Lat' that I'd expect from a 45% blend I have to admit I like it! There is a tame quality to it which is refreshing for a Lat' blend. I don't get any harshness from it at any point. The Virginia has a straightforward grassy flavour but also a subtle sweetness to it. I find the nicotine mild to medium, it doesn't knock my socks off! I feel that three stars is a fair mark, it just becomes a touch mundane after a while!

I purchased this tobacco as part of a Latakia sampling pack, as I'm a Lat fan. In the pouch, this is a mixture comprising mostly bright Virginia in short chunky ribbons, punctuated by lumps of the stinky black goddess herself. I will at this point state that I am in full agreement with the previous reviewers here in my opinion that there is absolutely no way in this world of Moses that there is 45% Latakia in this blend. I reckon it may be 35% at a push, but more like 30%. It can be seen by just looking at it, as well as in the smoke itself. The pouch note is what one would expect, light grassy notes from the Virginia, and a smoky smouldering darkness from the Lat poking through regularly. The tobacco packs exceptionally well, like a dream, in fact. I would possibly go so far as to say that this is the easiest tobacco to pack that I have ever encountered. In my experience, the tobacco was perfect moisture, light and fluffy, and packed like an angel. The tobacco took the light very easily and the burn rate was just sublime, required no relights. I would warn, though, that although I didn't get fully bitten by this, my tongue got a stern warning a couple of times to just back off. I didn't need to be told twice. Push this and you will pay the price, I believe. The taste is pleasant, and to my senses, quite extraordinary. We are all aware that Virginias are often described as being 'sweet' and it is indeed a description I have employed frequently myself, but the Virginias in this are something else! it is like smoking sugar! To my surprise, I rather enjoyed this level of sweetness, like no other Virginia I have previously smoked (usually dark Virginia is the order of the day for me), this ticked my tastebuds is a quite delightful manner! The Latakia blended well with this to tone down the sweetness and imbue it with a smoky mellowing quality, which worked very well. This occurred after the first quarter of the bowl. The room note, it's Virginia & Latakia, need I say more? I love it, many of us here do, but those who don't smoke proper tobacco will never understand why we do. Nicotine strength, I'm going with Mild-Medium on this. Overall I'm going to give this tobacco 3 stars out of 4. It has pleasant qualities, and I've never smoked anything quite like it. It burns well, and tastes like I'm smoking a lovely pudding. On the downside, however, it doesn't really move on from this at any point, it stays stuck in the sweet/smoky cycle & just repeats it over and over. Once you get at quarter of a way down the bowl, that's your lot. That's what you'll have until the end of that bowl, no further development of taste at all. Also, I have to smoke quite a lot of it as I find that it really just leaves me with a sort of nagging unsatisfied feeling, meaning I have to smoke quite a lot of it, I like smoking, so that's not a problem, but if this was going to be a regular smoke for me, it would quickly become expensive! There is also the potentail for bite if one smokes this inconsiderately and disrespectful of the dangers that lurk with the briar walls of the bowl! I like it quite a lot though, and weighing up the good and the bad, it thoroughly deserves 3 out of 4 (it's bang on 3 as well, as is 3.0, not 3.5 or anywhere near that) In fact, thinking about it, I would probably give it 2.8-2.9 (so rounded up to 3). I will probably buy some this to have around for when I fancy something sweet. I may even help slim me down by removing my need to munch of sweets, when I can just smoke a bowl of this instead. G,H&Co. also get bad marks for falsely advertising the level of Latakia in this blend.

This blend is just an average Lat. blend. Nothing that stands out and it is just a VA/Lat. no oriental. More to the point, the lat. is not a powerhouse like C&D's Pirate Kake, and the VA's really are a little thin here too. It also bites a little even when I am smoking very slowly. I would not buy this again personally SG's Commonwealth is a better blend in the same vein I think.

To me, this tastes a lot like they've taken Kendal Kentucky which is a shag cut, and added chips of latakia. The resulting flavor is nice, and this is the fullest latakia blend that G&H makes, but frankly, I think the sum is less then the individual parts. I like many latakia blends (Squadron Leader, Westminster) and I love Kendal Kentucky but this blend doesn't seem very balanced, or very complex. In particular, I have a lot of trouble getting it to burn well, with both components, as the KK ignites very easy and burns hot in the first part of the bowl, and then the last part of the bowl is a much cooler latakia heavy smoke with more relights. Some experimentation with packing techniques was done, perhaps with more, I could find the zone with it, but no luck so far.

Now, all that said, if you like Kendal Kentucky and latakia, try this, it's definitely unique, and I could see folks loving it, just not me... the tobacco is definitely high quality with good flavors.

Upon visiting a local specialist tobacconist, I asked for a decent English mixture, and was recommended to try this brand. The tobacconist was selling it from a bulk container, and opened the jar to reveal a deep, earthy scent. There were hints of charcoal, dark-golden nuances, and I noticed some darker ribbons in the jar.

Packing was fine, the tobacco was moist and springy to the touch. Lighting was a little difficult at first, and burned quite hot initially. But, counter to that, I admit that I was smoking it in an unexpensive clay pipe, and so did not have the luxury of the briar wood to maintain smooth burning.

The flavour was medium to strong, releasing a strong, robust smokiness, accentuated by hints of almond and woodsmoke. There seem not to be any flavourings added. The room note is sweet in an English fashion: nutty, intense, earthy. It is not a Lakeland, and certainly is not aromatic in the sweet sense.

I am pleased with this Mixture. It burns slowly, if a little hot, and smells pleasant. The nicotine strength is average to moderate, and makes a pleasant burn on a cold winter's night.

Though there are better Virginia-Latakia mixtures on the market (S.Gawith Commonwealth and Fairmon Lancer's slices come to mind), this is a fine tobacco: light in body, so you can smoke it every moment of the day, but enough full in taste to suit an experienced smoker tastebuds. It's easy to pack and light, without a great need to dry on the air.